Operating device for player-pianos.



0. HIGEL.

OPERATING DEVICE FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. I912.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

OLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH C0-.\VASHINGTON, D. c

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTOI'HVI'GE'L, or TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

: orniia'rme DEVICE non PLAYER-PIANos.

To all whom iii may concern city of Toronto, in'thecounty of; York,

in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Devices for Playe'r Pianos, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in operating devices for player pianos and the object. of the invention is to devise a support for the push buttons and operating levers which not only form a rest for the hand when manipulating the device but also may be stowed out of sight when not in use.

A further object is to obviate the necessity of weakening the base board of the key bed and it consists essentially of a supplemental board extending from and hinged to the front edge of the key bed in which are supported in the usual manner the usual operating levers and push buttons, the operating lever mechanism and push button mechanism having a hinge intermediate connection located on a line with the hinge of the sup- 7 plemental board and means for locking the supplemental board in both its raised and lowered positions as hereinafter more particularly explained by the following specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the key bed showing my device connected thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 looking from the under side thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross section of a portion of the key bed supplemental board and push button mechanism showing the supplemental board in its raised position. Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 showing the supplemental board in its tilted position. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the key bed, supplemental board and one of the operating lever mechanisms showing the supplemental board in its folded position. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the securing means for the supplemental board B.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is the key bed.

B is the supplemental board provided with the slots B B and B in which are hinged the usual soft pedal, tempo, and re wind levers of B, B and B respectively.

C, (1 ,0 and C are .orifices formed in the supplemental board B, in which are located Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 191 5.

the usual loud pedal, soft bass, soft treble, and silence push buttons, which I designate respectively C C C and C.

E and E are bearing brackets secured to the underside of the key bed A, E and E are arms pivotally connected to the brackets E and E by pins E and E The arms E and E are rigidly connected at their opposite ends to the ends of the supplemental board B. By this means the supplemental board B ishinged to the key bed.

F is a locking plate secured beneath the key bed at one side of the recess F formed in the key bed.

G is a stem extending from the supplemental board B and provided at its opposite end with an arm G having a notch G The arm Gr is spring-pressed by a suitable spring G-*. G is merely a piece of spring wire attached to a stationary part and bearing against a projection extending from the arm G as shown in the drawing and serves to force the notch of the arm to spring into engagement with the plate F. When the supplemental board B is in its raised position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The notch G of the arm G engages the edge of the plate F, holding the supplemental board in a horizontal position. When swung into the tilted position as shown in Fig. 4, the notch G engages the notched bracket G secured beneath the key bed thereby locking the supplemental board B in its tilted position.

H is a series of valve levers hinged at one end in brackets H by pins H which are on a linewith the hinge pins E and E of the supplemental board B. The opposite ends of the levers H are suitably connected to the push buttons 0", C 0 and C. H are springs designed to exert an upward pressure on the levers H.

I, are ducts leading to the usual operating mechanism of the player piano. I are valve faces secured to the levers H and designed to normally close the end of each duct I.

J, J and J are crank rods connecting the operating levers B B and B to the usual operating mechanism to which the soft pedal, tempo, and rewind levers are connected. The operating crank rods J, J and J each comprise two members J and J connected by the crank portions J and J through which extends the hinge pin J located on a line with the hinge pins E and E of the supplemental board E. It will be understood that the portions J 6 are suitably journaled in the bearings J located beneath the supplemental board B and the portion J 7 is journaled in suitable bearings J and J located beneath the key bed A;

It will be readily seen from the description that when it is necessary for any reason, to fold the supplemental board beneath the key bed it can be readily done by simply turning the knob Gr when the supplemental board may be swung from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in' Fig. 4, the point of swing of the supplemenstal board, valve levers, and operating crank rods being on a line. It will also be seen by this construction that any liability to weaken the key bed through inserting the push buttons and levers therein is obviated at the same time forming a convenient rest for the hand when operating the push buttons and levers.

What I claim as my invention is.

A player piano including an operating lever pivoted support, a stem extending from said support and provided at one end with a spring-pressed arm, said arm having a notch, a key bed having a recess, a plate member secured beneath the key bed at a side edge of the recess in said key bed and a notched bracket secured beneath the key bed, the notch in said spring-pressed notched arm being arranged to receive said plate, when said support is in one position and the notch'in said bracket when said support is in its other position.

OTTO HIGEL.

Witnesses:

B. 'BoYD, M. EGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington. D. C. 

